Metal Bioleaching (Biomining)

In place bioleaching of copper in Chile Source: BGR

For biomining specialized microorganisms are used in order to recover valuable metals from ores via bioleaching. Important leaching bacteria are aerobic, acidophilic iron(II)- and/or sulfur compound-oxidizing species such as for example Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (formerly Thiobacillus ferrooxidans). The ore minerals of the metals copper, nickel, cobalt, and zinc occur in nature mainly as metal sulfides. Bioleaching is the biological conversion of an insoluble metal compound to a water soluble form. The oxidizing agent iron(III) for the metal sulfides originates from the microbial iron(II)oxidation. During metal sulfide oxidation sulfur compounds and elemental sulfur occur. These are microbially oxidized to sulfuric acid, whereby the acid milieu is generated.

In industrial bioleaching (biomining) three technical processes are differentiated: Heap or dump bioleaching, tank bioleaching, in situ or in place bioleaching. Today the recovery of copper from sulfide ores is the most important industrial application, and a significant proportion of the world copper production originates from heap or dump bioleaching. Furthermore biomining is applied for the recovery of gold, cobalt, nickel, zinc and uranium.

Bioreactor for metal bioleaching in the geomicrobiology laboratory of BGR Source: BGR

Via targeted research and further development of bioleaching valuable substances such as economically critical metals could be recovered from mine waste dumps (mine tailings), complex ores (BGR-Project RoStraMet), non-sulfidic ores such as laterites and manganese nodules, as well as industrial residues such as ashes, sludges, slags and even electronic waste. For this, processes already exist in laboratory scale and further work is carried out in the geomicrobiology laboratory of BGR, mainly within the frame of third-party funded projects. Since 1973 several projects in bioleaching have been carried out and the results have regularly been published in recognized international journals (> 150 publications).

Current Projects:

• BioProLat - Reductive Bioprocessing for Cobalt and Nickel recovery from Laterites in Brazil, BMBF, 2021-2024
• Erforschung der Reaktionsmechanismen der dissimilatorischen Eisen(III)-Reduktion gekoppelt mit Schwefel-Oxidation (DIRSO) durch azidophile Prokaryonten und deren Relevanz für Biolaugung und Bildung saurer Grubenwässer, DFG, 2019-2022

Former Projects:

• SEEsand - Gewinnung schwerer Seltenerdelemente (SEE) aus Schwermineralsanden, Teilvorhaben 2: Technologieentwicklung mikrobiologische Gewinnungsprozesse, BMBF, r4, 2016-2019, www.r4-innovation.de/de/seesand.html
• Bioprocessing options for extraction of valuable metals (e.g. cobalt, copper) from mine tailings in Chile, DERA, 2018-2020
  https://www.deutsche-rohstoffagentur.de/DERA/DE/Laufende-Projekte/Rohstoffpotenzialbewertung/Halden%20Chile/lp-halden_node.html
• Bioprocessing options for South African platinum group element (PGE) ores, DERA, Cooperation with University of Cape Town in South Africa, BMBF-project BioPGE, 2017-2021
  https://www.internationales-buero.de/de/4848.php
• BioMOre – New Mining Concept for Extracting Metals from Deep Ore Deposits using Biotechnology, EU Horizon 2020, 2015-2018
  
• Resource efficiency Germany-France: Composition EcoMetals - Innovative eco-efficient biohydrometallurgy process for the recovery of strategic and rare metals: primary and secondary resources, BMBF, 2014-2017
• Chemical – biotechnological recovery of valuable elements from lignite combustion ash, BMBF, r3, 2013-2015
• Molecular mechanism of anoxic bioleaching by bacteria for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from Cuban laterites, Grant of Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation to Dr. Jeannette Marrero Coto, 2013-2015

Literature:

• Hedrich, S., and A. Schippers. 2021. Distribution of acidophilic microorganisms in natural and man-made acidic environments. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. Vol. 40: 25-48. https://www.caister.com/cimb/abstracts/v40/25.html
• Breuker, A., S. F. Ritter, and A. Schippers. 2020. Biosorption of rare earth elements by different microorganisms in acidic solutions. Metals 10: 954. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/7/954
• Hedrich, S., D. Kraemer, M. Junge, H. Marbler, M. Bau, and A. Schippers. 2020. Bioprocessing of oxidized platinum group element (PGE) ores as pre-treatment for efficient chemical extraction of PGE. Hydrometallurgy 196: 105419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2020.105419
• Marrero, J., O. Coto and A. Schippers. 2020. Metal bioleaching: Fundamentals and geobiotechnical application of aerobic and anaerobic acidophiles. In: Biotechnological Applications of Extremophilic Microorganisms, N. Lee (ed.). De Gruyter, 261-287, ISBN 978-3-11-042773-8. https://www.degruyter.com/document/isbn/9783110424331/html
• Tanne, C., and A. Schippers. 2020. Angewandte Elektrochemie in der Biohydrometallurgie. BioSpektrum 5/20: 553-555. https://www.biospektrum.de/system/files/magazine_article/2020/09/files/79101/79101.pdf
• Zhang, R., S. Hedrich, F. Römer, D. Goldmann, and A. Schippers. 2020. Bioleaching of cobalt from Cu/Co-rich sulfidic mine tailings from the polymetallic Rammelsberg mine, Germany. Hydrometallurgy 197: 105443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2020.105443
• Schippers, A., C. Tanne, J. Stummeyer and T. Graupner. 2019. Sphalerite bioleaching comparison in shake flasks and percolators. Minerals Engineering 132: 251-257. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892687518305508
• Tanne, C., and A. Schippers. 2019. Electrochemical applications in metal bioleaching. In: Bioelectrosynthesis, F. Harnisch and D. Holtmann (eds.), Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology 167: 327-359. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030032982
• Tanne, C., A. Schippers. 2019. Electrochemical investigation of chalcopyrite (bio)leaching residues. Hydrometallurgy 187: 8-17. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304386X18308661 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2019.04.022
• Schippers, A., S. Willscher, F. Glombitza and J. Petersen (eds.). 2018. International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium IBS 2017, Special Issue. Hydrometallurgy https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/hydrometallurgy/special-issue/10QXFZ91Z4X
• Hedrich, S., C. Joulian, T. Graupner, A. Schippers, A.-G. Guézennec. 2018. Enhanced chalcopyrite dissolution in stirred tank reactors by temperature increase during bioleaching. Hydrometallurgy 179: 125–131. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304386X18301932
• Hedrich, S., R. Kermer, T. Aubel, M. Martin, A. Schippers, D. B. Johnson, E. Janneck. 2018. Implementation of biological and chemical techniques to recover metals from copper-rich leach solutions. Hydrometallurgy 179: 274-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.06.012
• Zhang, R., S. Hedrich, C. Ostertag-Henning, A. Schippers. 2018. Effect of elevated pressure on ferric iron reduction coupled to sulfur oxidation by biomining microorganisms. Hydrometallurgy 178: 215–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.05.003
• Hedrich, S., A. Schippers. 2017. Metallgewinnung mittels Geobiotechnologie. Chem. Ing. Tech. 89: 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.201600080
  
  
• Further publications